Product Tips and Insights

AWH, a digital product consulting, user experience, and software development firm, today announced a client partnership with Oplign, LLC (“Oplign”), a veteran-owned company focused on helping veterans transition out of the military to enter the workforce.

For the thousands of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, starting a new career can be a challenging and disheartening experience. According to a post-military employment survey conducted by Prudential Financial and IAVA, nearly 50 percent of respondents felt unprepared for the move to the civilian workforce. Two-thirds reported an arduous transition to civilian life, partially due to unrealistic expectations regarding the current economic environment, but also because the skills and experience developed during their years in the military are often difficult to translate into the civilian business community.

To alleviate the difficulties faced by returning veterans, Oplign offers a disruptive, talent alignment technology to create a new, high-value talent pipeline for private sector companies. According to Alex Calfee, Executive Vice President of Oplign, “Unlike standard HR or recruiting systems on the market, Oplign is designed specifically for the unique needs of the U.S. Government (USG) contracting space.” He continued, “Oplign standardizes military training, positions, and skills to provide a solution to the veteran hiring problem, enabling companies to easily and quickly find qualified talent for open positions.”

To develop their solution, Oplign required a technology partner that could leverage complex data algorithms and models. Oplign CEO, Mike Grow, received recommendations from The Ohio State University Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) before ultimately engaging with AWH. “We wanted a trusted partner who could translate our solution into code and build us a minimum viable product (MVP) to show potential investors,” Calfee explained. “After working with AWH, we now have a functional tool that thoroughly services the needs of our current customers and allows us to begin conversations with potential clients, including AEP, Cardinal Health, and others in the Washington, D.C. area.”

As they continue to gain customer validation, the Oplign and AWH teams have created and are executing a product roadmap to ensure the solution evolves to meet the needs of veterans searching for employment opportunities and companies seeking the skills of dedicated ex-military personnel. According to Ryan Frederick, principal at AWH, “We had strong alignment with the Oplign team from the very beginning, and are happy to collaborate with Mike and Alex on their mission to help more veterans find employment after completing service.” Chris Slee, founder and Chief Product Officer at AWH, added, “What Mike and Alex are doing with Oplign is another example of software being used to positively impact lives. Navigating the private sector and contractor positions is a daunting task, but Oplign makes it easier and faster for veterans to find employment. We are honored to partner with Oplign on this important mission.”

AWH is a 23-year-old digital product consulting, user experience, and software development firm located in Dublin, Ohio. From startups to enterprise, we collaborate with clients to build great digital products through strong product management. Our team of experts helps organizations make decisions driven and validated by customer/user focus and deliver products that solve high-value problems. Areas of expertise include user experience (UX), application and data architecture, API, data and analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. To learn more, please visit http://www.awh.net.

Oplign, LLC is focused on aligning job employment seekers with jobs they’re qualified for. We help companies find qualified employees for open positions. We help vets transitioning out of the military to enter the workforce, whether they decide to stay near their last post, return home, or try somewhere new. We’re a veteran-owned company and have been working to find better ways to find the nearly 200,000 veterans transitioning annually jobs as they enter the workforce. We also support the over 12 million veterans currently in the workforce. We do this for our brothers and sisters who’ve given four or more prime years of their lives to serve our Nation.

Caitlin Zucal
Caitlin Zucal is the Marketing Manager at AWH. A graduate of The Ohio State University, she received her degree in International Studies with a concentration in Public Relations and Business. Caitlin is a passionate storyteller and enjoys combining creativity and analytical skills for the enhancement of marketing and product development.